Mar 21, 2023·edited Mar 21, 2023Liked by Todd Beeton, The Big Picture, George Takei
There is a really easy answer for parents who don't want their kids to read certain books. Don't let them. Tell them they can't. Make them return such books to the library if they bring one home.
Will that mean they will read them secretly? That's your problem, parent.
I can remember knowing that my parents would not approve of me reading Peyton Place. I tried anyway. But guess what--it was pretty boring. I didn't bother finishing it.
In the surge for "parental rights" the whole concept of "parental responsibilities" has gone dark.
Mar 21, 2023Liked by The Big Picture, George Takei
Well guess one of my favorite books of fiction is going to be a no,no.the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Just going to make me read again. My Uncle was an educator and had me reading Steinbeck and others in the 7th grade. Most I am sure would have been banned for one reason or another. They are raising a whole generation of uneducated, closed minded individuals. What happens when they grow up and face the real world?
Mar 21, 2023Liked by Todd Beeton, The Big Picture, George Takei
As a librarian (retired), I am not only infuriated by these latest book bannings, I am also terrified. Where does it go from here; to book burnings? To reinstituting some type of segregation? T forbidding certain students from attending school, or going to the public library? That all sounds very familiar to me. IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CHILD TO READ A PARTICULAR BOOK - THEN DON'T LET THEM. BUT DON'T FORBID OTHER PARENTS WHO WANT THEIR CHILD TO BE TRULY EDUCATED, TO READ THEM.
Mar 21, 2023Liked by Todd Beeton, The Big Picture, George Takei
I commend your deep dive on this issue. The internment of Japanese Americans has always been a frustration for me, having lived in Japan for 3 years. Banning your book about that subject is particularly vexing. I guess Florida high school history teachers would also have a problem making reference to the 1619 Project. Thank you for educating us about the breadth and depth of this dilemma. [BTW - every time I read, and re-read portions of the 1619 Project, I first read the condescending op-ed assessment by George Will. It makes me want to dive deeper!]
Mar 21, 2023Liked by The Big Picture, George Takei
When I was in grade school I was reading well above my grade level. I attended a Catholic grade school that did not have a library. I'm 70 years old and retired now. The Book Mobile came around to school and we were allowed time to check out books. I selected more books than other students, and books that were above my grade level. The Book Mobile worker would not allow me to check out so many books and especially books above my grade level. I went and found one of the nuns who knew that I was an able reader, and she talked to the worker to allow me to check out the books I wanted. The same thing happened when I would walk to our local public library. I solved that problem by checking out books at different times on different days so the person checking me out would be different and not aware of the other books I'd checked out. I also explained that some of the books were for my older brother (an out-and-out lie). When my daughter began reading books that some people criticized, we read those books together, so we could talk about the "controversial" aspects (remember the outrage with the Harry Potter books). I was more worried about alcohol, drugs and later, sexual violence, when my daughter was in grade school, middle school and high school than what books she was reading. School gun violence was not yet a very real problem. I do not understand why parents don't read "controversial" books together with their children and discuss them together. I suppose it's fear and the need to control but they should not be able to control other people's children.
I do not like the metric that these book banning parents apply for the removal of history books—if white children learn about Japanese American internment, slavery, extermination of native peoples, they will feel bad about themselves. First, taught right, these students will feel anger and discomfort at being taught history but not bad about children themselves. History should make us all want to do better in the future. Second, if we care about how children feel about their lessons, can we look at how Japanese American might feel that authentic parts of their history are being erased? Or, how about how Black children might feel about being taught that slavery was good for Blacks, that it’s their own fault that they have fewer academic achievements than Whites, or that Black people never achieved anything without the help of whites. This book banning has nothing to do with children’s “feelings”. It has everything to do with a political philosophy that believes that marginalized people are less-than human and wants to continue to subjugate minorities to White rule.
And all the nonsense about “grooming”! People do not become gay because it was suggested to them. Being LGBTQ+ is simply who they are! But straight people reading these books might learn tolerance!
This banning of uncomfortable subjects affects all of us. None of us is truly free until all of us are free.
I've watched many movies and tv shows over the years that showed a society with an overbearing government that policed the public to a ludicrous degree. I used to sit and laugh and scoff over the absurdity of those scenarios - the bursting in on the word of a neighbor or patron to snatch up the offender who said the wrong thing, had the wrong book, danced, sang, ... all so ridiculous. Now - NOW, my reaction is so different and so very frightened that we are actually heading that way. It should be absurd. It should be outrageous. The people supporting this should be aware that they will inevitably become the persecuted.
We've got to stop this before we live in that ludicrous world.
Thank you!!! Yet another reminder that all politics is local. All of the people in our state and federal legislatures started out as members of a school board, or in city/ county government. If you are able and so inclined, run for a position on the school board or in local government. We've become lazy, and the right is taking advantage of it. If we don't counter them, they will continue to try to force their views and beliefs on the rest of us.
How quaint, this issue of book banning. I'm surprised they haven't moved into the 21st century and focused instead on cell phone, iPad and laptop banning. It's pretty much standard practice these days for kids to start using devices like this even before they can read, and certainly shortly after. One can't attend school anymore without having an account to access school related materials. The library is a far safer place to consume information than the internet. Kids are far more sophisticated AND subversive than their parents realize when it comes to access to information, particularly things of which their parents might not approve. So book banning? So 17th century...
There is a really easy answer for parents who don't want their kids to read certain books. Don't let them. Tell them they can't. Make them return such books to the library if they bring one home.
Will that mean they will read them secretly? That's your problem, parent.
I can remember knowing that my parents would not approve of me reading Peyton Place. I tried anyway. But guess what--it was pretty boring. I didn't bother finishing it.
In the surge for "parental rights" the whole concept of "parental responsibilities" has gone dark.
Well guess one of my favorite books of fiction is going to be a no,no.the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Just going to make me read again. My Uncle was an educator and had me reading Steinbeck and others in the 7th grade. Most I am sure would have been banned for one reason or another. They are raising a whole generation of uneducated, closed minded individuals. What happens when they grow up and face the real world?
As a librarian (retired), I am not only infuriated by these latest book bannings, I am also terrified. Where does it go from here; to book burnings? To reinstituting some type of segregation? T forbidding certain students from attending school, or going to the public library? That all sounds very familiar to me. IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CHILD TO READ A PARTICULAR BOOK - THEN DON'T LET THEM. BUT DON'T FORBID OTHER PARENTS WHO WANT THEIR CHILD TO BE TRULY EDUCATED, TO READ THEM.
I commend your deep dive on this issue. The internment of Japanese Americans has always been a frustration for me, having lived in Japan for 3 years. Banning your book about that subject is particularly vexing. I guess Florida high school history teachers would also have a problem making reference to the 1619 Project. Thank you for educating us about the breadth and depth of this dilemma. [BTW - every time I read, and re-read portions of the 1619 Project, I first read the condescending op-ed assessment by George Will. It makes me want to dive deeper!]
When I was in grade school I was reading well above my grade level. I attended a Catholic grade school that did not have a library. I'm 70 years old and retired now. The Book Mobile came around to school and we were allowed time to check out books. I selected more books than other students, and books that were above my grade level. The Book Mobile worker would not allow me to check out so many books and especially books above my grade level. I went and found one of the nuns who knew that I was an able reader, and she talked to the worker to allow me to check out the books I wanted. The same thing happened when I would walk to our local public library. I solved that problem by checking out books at different times on different days so the person checking me out would be different and not aware of the other books I'd checked out. I also explained that some of the books were for my older brother (an out-and-out lie). When my daughter began reading books that some people criticized, we read those books together, so we could talk about the "controversial" aspects (remember the outrage with the Harry Potter books). I was more worried about alcohol, drugs and later, sexual violence, when my daughter was in grade school, middle school and high school than what books she was reading. School gun violence was not yet a very real problem. I do not understand why parents don't read "controversial" books together with their children and discuss them together. I suppose it's fear and the need to control but they should not be able to control other people's children.
I do not like the metric that these book banning parents apply for the removal of history books—if white children learn about Japanese American internment, slavery, extermination of native peoples, they will feel bad about themselves. First, taught right, these students will feel anger and discomfort at being taught history but not bad about children themselves. History should make us all want to do better in the future. Second, if we care about how children feel about their lessons, can we look at how Japanese American might feel that authentic parts of their history are being erased? Or, how about how Black children might feel about being taught that slavery was good for Blacks, that it’s their own fault that they have fewer academic achievements than Whites, or that Black people never achieved anything without the help of whites. This book banning has nothing to do with children’s “feelings”. It has everything to do with a political philosophy that believes that marginalized people are less-than human and wants to continue to subjugate minorities to White rule.
And all the nonsense about “grooming”! People do not become gay because it was suggested to them. Being LGBTQ+ is simply who they are! But straight people reading these books might learn tolerance!
This banning of uncomfortable subjects affects all of us. None of us is truly free until all of us are free.
I've watched many movies and tv shows over the years that showed a society with an overbearing government that policed the public to a ludicrous degree. I used to sit and laugh and scoff over the absurdity of those scenarios - the bursting in on the word of a neighbor or patron to snatch up the offender who said the wrong thing, had the wrong book, danced, sang, ... all so ridiculous. Now - NOW, my reaction is so different and so very frightened that we are actually heading that way. It should be absurd. It should be outrageous. The people supporting this should be aware that they will inevitably become the persecuted.
We've got to stop this before we live in that ludicrous world.
Thank you!!! Yet another reminder that all politics is local. All of the people in our state and federal legislatures started out as members of a school board, or in city/ county government. If you are able and so inclined, run for a position on the school board or in local government. We've become lazy, and the right is taking advantage of it. If we don't counter them, they will continue to try to force their views and beliefs on the rest of us.
As a Canadian, reading this horrifies my soul....this disease must be stopped-our US neighbours deserve better, much better.
How quaint, this issue of book banning. I'm surprised they haven't moved into the 21st century and focused instead on cell phone, iPad and laptop banning. It's pretty much standard practice these days for kids to start using devices like this even before they can read, and certainly shortly after. One can't attend school anymore without having an account to access school related materials. The library is a far safer place to consume information than the internet. Kids are far more sophisticated AND subversive than their parents realize when it comes to access to information, particularly things of which their parents might not approve. So book banning? So 17th century...